Life Ain't Always Beautiful, But It's A Beautiful Ride
by driver picks the music
Summary: The war with the Patriots and the Nano are done, now it's time to rebuild the town and get on with their lives. The best way to do that? With a party of course. The town hosts a dance, but Charlie and Monroe just might be finished dancing around one another, but who's going to make the first move?


**So I should be updating The Book of Love...I know I know...but this idea came to me and wouldn't go away until I got it all down. :/ The update for Book of Love will hopefully be up in a day or two.**

**Until then, I really hope you like this. It's nothing special. It tells a little bit about what they've gone through after the end of the show without going into much detail, because I just really didn't want to do that lol**

**The title come from the Gary Allan song Life Ain't Always Beautiful, which has absolutely nothing to do with this story...lol I haven't even listened to it recently it just seemed to fit. :)**

**The song that did give inspiration is the One Direction song called What Makes You Beautiful, the version used on the season finale of About A Boy last season.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Revolution, unless you count the DVD's? No? Then I got nothing...**

* * *

The war was over. Unsurprisingly, they had won. Of course they did, it's who they are, it's what they do, they don't stop until it's over. Until they win or they are dead. Thankfully in this instance they had come out on top, victorious. Of course they had lost people; everyone lost someone that they cared about.

Connor had realized his mistake, and thankfully had made emends with Bass before he was taken out during the fight with the nano.

Gene was almost lost to them when the nano infected him, but in the end they got him back, a little worse for wear, but even though he was going to be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life, he still had a life left.

Now here they were, months later, back in Willoughby helping to rebuild the town. To celebrate the return of their town, they had all decided that they should hold a dance. A social they had called it.

"I look ridiculous." Charlie said as she once again adjusted the dress she was wearing.

Miles smirked as he held his arm out for her. "No kid, you really don't." he said and winked at her. "Trust me."

The dress was simple and blue with a little black belt that she had found in her grandmothers closet, but it was nicer than anything she had ever owned and she felt out of place without her normal pants, chain belt, and tank top.

Thankfully she had found a pair of simple black sandals to wear with it instead of the heels her mother had found. There was no way that she was going to wear those things. The last time she had worn heels was when Drexel had forced them on her, and while they weren't the most unpleasant thing about _that_ night, they did make the list.

Charlie rolled her eyes at her uncle and took his arm and let him lead her to the door to the church where the dance was being held.

He opened the door for her and ushered her in. Charlie reached up and brushed her hair back from her shoulder as she looked around. She was out of her element and she was worried that it showed. She's not the girly girl and she felt a little like an imposter pretending to be one.

…

Bass leaned against the wall near the refreshments table sipping a glass of punch, wondering where in the hell they got the ingredients to make it, they had just been in the middle of a war after all and luxuries like sugar were hard to come by, when the door opened and he glanced up.

Charlie.

She brushed her hair back and his breath caught in the back of his throat. Then he swore at himself silently. Sometimes, with just the simplest gestures like that, she made him feel like some love sick teenager again. Which was ridiculous, he was an old man compared to her, and she sure as hell didn't think of him like that. They were friends, and nothing more.

He shook those thoughts from his head and let his trademark smirk spread over his features when he noticed her heading his way. She fidgeted with the dress again and hurried across the room, trying to avoid the eyes following her.

As he watched her trek across the floor, he couldn't help but be completely blown away by the fact that she has absolutely no idea how beautiful she really is.

Sure she knows that she has a nice body, and a pretty face.

She knows that with a gun in her hand and he or Miles at her side, she's virtually unstoppable.

He knows that she knows this, which is why it's so surprising to watch one of the most fearless people he's ever met, try to hide from those around her.

Bass raised a brow and sets the cup of punch down as he watches her use her hair to try to hide her face from the people that she passes.

"Ok, let's hear it." Charlie said a moment later when she leaned against the wall beside him, using him to block her from the rest of the room.

Bass raised his brows. "Hear what?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Charlie rolled her eyes and gestured at her outfit. "Whatever you really want to say about how ridiculous I look." She said. "Because with that look on your face, I know that you've thought of something."

Bass wondered how she would take it if she knew what he really thought. He shook his head and shrugged a shoulder. "You don't look ridiculous, you look really nice." He said.

…

Charlie was surprised by his words. That was actually nice, and she couldn't hear a sarcastic tone in his voice. If she didn't know better, she would almost think that he had just complimented her.

"What?" Bass asks when he notices the surprised look on her face.

Charlie smirks and raises a brow. "Who are you and what have you done with Sebastian Monroe, because you just said something nice."

Bass smiles slightly and chuckles. "Believe it or not, I can be a nice guy when I want to be." He said before fixing a glass of punch and handing it to her.

Charlie looked skeptical but smiled slightly as she took the glass from him.

…

Miles sighed as he watched the two of them from across the room. Aaron, who had just walked up, followed his line of sight and raised his brows.

"He ask her to dance yet?" Aaron asked.

Miles rolled his eyes. "Are you kidding me?"

Aaron took a swig from his flask. "I never would have pegged him as the scaredy-cat type." He said with a chuckle.

Aaron also never would have pegged Sebastian Monroe as someone he would eventually become friends with, but after fighting side by side to take down first the patriots and then the nano, that's exactly what happened. The only person more surprised by these turn of events than Aaron, was probably Monroe himself.

Miles scoffed lightly. "That man will run headlong into any battle, whether he has a snowballs chance of making it out again, he will blindly go toe to toe with anyone he feels might be a threat, but when it comes to a woman that he might actually care about, he's like a tongue tied twelve year old all over again."

Aaron chuckled. "It's almost too sad to watch." He said. "Almost, but not quite."

Miles shook his head and stood up. "This is getting ridiculous." He said. "We're going to help give him a little push." He said before striding across the room.

…

"Your mom won't dance with me."

Charlie and Bass both turned to Miles and Charlie smirked at him. "That's because she can't dance. There are many things that woman can do, but dancing is not one of them." She said.

Bass remained silent. He and Rachel had come to an uneasy understanding. They both cared about the same people, and even though they would never care about each other, they would both try to put their differences behind them for those people. Or at least not throw those differences in each other's faces all the time.

Miles nodded at Charlie and held his hand out. "So come on, don't make me stand on the sidelines all night like the lonely girl at prom."

Charlie laughed and took his hand and let him pull her to the dance floor, her unease over her attire forgotten.

Bass had a smile on his face as he watched as Miles twirled Charlie around as she smiled at her uncle.

"You're an idiot, you know that right?" Aaron said as he came to stand beside him.

Bass sighed and nodded. "Yeah." He said, not bothering to hide anything from the man beside him. Aaron had figured out months ago about his feelings for Charlie, and surprisingly, had encouraged them. Trying to convince him she returned then even.

"Do you honestly not see that she cares about you too?" Aaron asked him.

Bass looked at him and shrugged a shoulder. "We're friends Pittman, that's it." He said.

Aaron rolled his eyes. "Think about it. When she got here, she was nervous and uncomfortable, so what did she do? She left Miles side to head straight for you."

Bass looked back to the dance floor where Miles had pulled Charlie close, a hand slayed across her back, the other holding hers, as they spun in a slow circle to the music that played.

"And?" he asked Aaron.

"For the last couple of years, the person she has cared about the most in the whole world, is that man right there." Aaron said, as he pointed to the pair dancing. "But tonight she sought you out when she wanted comfort and familiarity." He said. "She tipped her hand, and if you would use your upstairs head for a minute and think about it, you would see that." Aaron left him standing alone after that, going in search of Pricilla.

…

Miles looked over Charlie's shoulder and caught Aarons eye and he raised his brows. Aaron shrugged a little, letting him know that he wasn't sure if Monroe had really taken his advice or not. Miles nodded once and twirled Charlie around again, only to be stopped when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

…

Bass thought it over for a minute and realized that Aaron was right. She had come to him, not the other way around. She had sought him out when she was unsure of herself, a feeling that he knew she wasn't used to, so that he could reassure her.

Now it was time to find out why.

He sat his glass down and strode across the floor to where Miles and Charlie were and he tapped Miles on the shoulder.

"Can I cut in?" he asked as Miles stepped back, already making room for him to step up and take Charlie's hand.

Charlie smiled and put her other hand on his shoulder. "I didn't know you liked to dance." She said.

Bass shook his head. "I don't really, not usually."

Charlie's smile faded some as she took in the serious look on his face. "Oh." She said. "Then why…?"

Bass smiled down at her. "You looked like you were having fun." He said and shrugged a shoulder. "And I wanted to be a part of it." He said as he pulled her closer to him as the band started another song.

…

Charlie's breath caught in her throat when he pulled her close. This was much different than dancing with Miles.

"You seem different tonight." Bass said to her as the music played softly. "Carefree."

Charlie looked up at him as his hand tightened around hers. "We don't have anyone trying to kill us." She said with a smile and he chuckled. "And my family is all here tonight." She shrugged slightly and tipped her head. "I thought I would give that relaxing and having a good time thing a try." She said.

Bass smiled a little wider. "Good, you deserve it." He said. "If there's any way that I can help with it, let me know."

Charlie smiled. "You're doing pretty good so far." She said.

…

"Looks like Miles and Rachel already left." Bass said later that night when the dance was coming to an end.

Charlie looked around and noticed that he was right.

"Walk you home?" he asked as he motioned to the door.

Charlie nodded. "Yeah, thanks." She said.

They both knew she didn't need anyone to see her home. She was a big girl and had proven more than once that she could take care of herself, and as she said earlier, no one was trying to kill them at the moment.

But as Bass held the door for her and she stepped out into the cool evening air, they both silently agreed to forget about all of that for the time being.

"So now that everything is settling down, what are your plans?" Charlie asked as they headed down the front steps of the church.

Bass shrugged as he stuck his hands in his pockets. "I'm not sure yet, Blanchard had a few thoughts he wanted to talk over." He said.

Charlie nodded. "Do you think you might stick around Willoughby for a while?"

Bass stopped walking and turned to Charlie. "That depends." He said when she stopped and faced him as well.

Charlie raised her brows. "On what?" she asked.

"If I have a reason too." He said.

As Charlie looked at him, the meaning behind his words unmistakably shinning in his eyes, she wondered, not for the first time, how she had ever been blind enough to think he was unfeeling. How had she missed this person that he tried so hard, and failed, to hide from everyone but those he truly cared about?

As his words hung in the air between them, Charlie took a step closer, encouraging Bass to do the same.

"What are we doing?" she asked finally.

Bass reached out and grabbed her hand and lightly ran his thumb over her knuckles. "Something I should have done months ago." He said as he reached up with his other hand and placed it on the back of her neck, lightly tugging her closer.

Charlie sighed as his mouth covered hers and he took that as encouragement to deepen the kiss.

They stood in the middle of the street, not paying any attention to the few people that passed by, their arms around each other, pressed together from their chests to their thighs, until the need for air made them pull apart.

But not completely. Charlie was exactly where Bass had wanted her for so long now that he wasn't going to just let go, not unless she wanted him to.

"Wow," Charlie said. "that was…better than I imagined." She said, her eyes still closed.

Bass smirked as he reached up and brushed her hair behind her ear. "You've thought about it before?" he asked, the cocky tone hard to miss.

Charlie chuckled and opened her eyes. "Maybe once or twice." She said.

"So," Charlie said. "does this mean you might have a reason to stay?"

Bass laid his hand on the side of her neck, his thumb running along the underside of her jaw. "You gotta tell me Charlie." He said. "Do you want me to stay?"

Charlie nodded. "Yes." She said.

It was simple. But that one word changed so much for them. With that one word Charlie let herself open up to the idea that they could be more.

"Things won't be easy." He said.

Charlie nodded and smirked. "Nothing worth having ever is." She said. "But," she stepped closer again, brushing against his chest. "I think you might be worth it.

"Miles, your mother…"he started but Charlie shook her head and cut him off. "They don't get a say." She said. "This isn't about them, this is about us."

"Us?" he asked.

Charlie nodded and smiled softly. "Yeah. You and me."

Bass smiled and took her hand in his once again. "OK, I like the sound of that." He said, before leaning down and once again claiming her mouth with his own.

Bass was right, they both knew things between them wouldn't be easy. He's so much older, and they have both been through so much and come out damaged on the other side, but as they walk hand in hand down the road towards the house the Bass calls home, they also know that together, they can get through anything that life throws their way. They are a Matheson and a Monroe after all, it's what they do.

…

Aaron met up with Miles on the front porch of the house that he and Pricilla share. From their vantage point they can see right down the main drag in town and saw the couple standing in the road.

Miles shook his head and chuckled lightly. "About time, I thought for a while I was going to have to lock them in a room together."

Aaron nodded. "Who would have thought a few years ago that you and I would be helping Monroe and Charlie get together." He said. "Life has a way of surprising the hell out of you over and over again huh?"

Miles nodded and grimaced as he watched his niece and his best friend making out in the middle of the street. "Understatement." He said.

But as he watches them walk towards Bass' place together, hands intertwined, he knew that this wasn't really a surprise, it had been a long time coming and he was glad that he got to be a part of two of the people he cared about most finding happiness.

The war with the patriots is over, and the fight against the nano is done. But life is far from over, and it's time they all started living it.

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**A picture of Charlies dress can be found on my tumblr page. Username randipandi88 :)**

**Thanks for reading. **

**And remember...**

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